Review #559; Rum #78: Holmes Clay Clarendon 9yr (2011)

This bottling comes to us from American bottler Holmes Cay. It was a single barrel of Jamaican rum from the Clarendon distillery, picked for the Rochester Elite Barrel Pickers. Aged for 9 years it was bottled with no additives. Let’s see how well they chose.

ABV: 59%

Nose: Tropical fruits, pineapple, touch of banana, both slightly over-ripe. Vanilla bean, touch of nutmeg, floralness,

Palate: Thick oily mouthfeel. Over-ripe fruits, pineapple, banana, slight mango. Vanilla bean, nutmeg, black pepper, floralness

Finish: Medium length finish. Warm, dry. Black Pepper, nutmeg, over ripe pineapple, banana, floralness

Rating: 8/10

This rum is really quite delicious. Nice amounts of fruit, a good amount of that Jamaican funk, with some some spice and floralness to tie it together. This is really quite the good bottling and was picked well.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect